Smithdown Primary School

Child Protection Policy

Adopted: July 2016

Reviewed: July 2017

Schools’ model child protection policy

The governors’ minutes should reflect that the full governing body has reviewed and agreed the school’s child protection policy. Schools are reminded that they should personalise it for their setting considering the age and needs of their children.

This policy provides guidance to all adults working within the school whether paid or voluntary or directly employed by the school or by a third party.

  1. Child Protection Statement:

‘Our school is committed to safeguarding children and promoting children’s welfare and expects all staff, governors, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment and maintain a vigilant and safe environment. Everyone has a responsibility to act, without delay, to protect children by reporting anything that might suggest a child is being abused or neglected. It is our willingness to work safely and challenge inappropriate behaviours that underpins this commitment. The school seeks to work in partnership with families and other agencies to improve the outcomes for children who are vulnerable or in need.’

‘Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play in safeguarding children. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.’ (DFE 2016)

  1. Definitions:

A child includes anyone under the age of 18.

Child protection: ‘Where a child is suffering significant harm, or is likely to do so, action should be taken to protect that child.’

Safeguarding Children: ‘Action should also be taken to promote the welfare of a child in need of additional support, even if they are not suffering harm or are at immediate risk.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.’

Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE 2016)

  1. Policy Aims:
  • To ensure responsibilities and procedures are fully understood and that everyone can recognise signs and indicators of abuse or neglect and respond to them appropriately
  • To ensure that the school’s practice meets local and national guidance
  1. Key Principles:
  • The child’s needs and welfare are paramount. All children have a right to be protected from abuse and neglect and have their welfare safeguarded.
  • Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE 2016) reminds us that all staff should maintain an attitude of “it could happen here” where safeguarding is concerned.
  • Children should be listened to and their views and wishes should inform any assessment and provision for them. Staff should always act in the interests of the child, in order to protect them.
  • The school recognises that scrutiny, challenge and supervision are key to safeguarding children.
  • The school is committed to working with other agencies to provide early help for children before they become at risk of harm or require a ‘child in need’ statutory assessment. ‘Early Help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years. ‘ (DfE 2016)
  • ‘All staff should be aware of the early help process, and understand their role in it. This includes identifying emerging problems, liaising with the designated safeguarding lead, sharing information with other professionals to support early identification and assessment and, in some cases, acting as the lead professional in undertaking an early help assessment.’ (DFE 2016)
  • ‘Allstaff should be aware of the process for making referrals to children’s social care and for statutory assessments under the Children Act 1989 that may follow a referral, along with the role they might be expected to play in such assessments.´ (DFE 2016)
  • All staff have responsibility to report their concerns about a child without delay to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Whilst the Designated Safeguarding Lead will normally make referrals to Children’s Services, anyone can refer their concerns to children’s social care directly in emergencies or if they feel they need to do so.
  • Everyone has responsibility to escalate their concerns and ‘press for reconsideration’ if they believe a child’s needs remain unmet or if the child is failing to thrive and in need or if the child is at risk of harm. ‘Concerns about a child should always lead to help for a child at some point.’(DfE 2016)
  • The school will work in partnership with other agencies to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm, including the need to share information about a child in order to safeguard them. ‘Fears about sharing information cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the need to promote the welfare and protect the safety of children.’ Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE 2015)
  • The school will work with other agencies to ensure any actions that are part of a multi-agency coordinated plan are completed in a timely way.
  • The school will follow the Local Authority and theLocal SafeguardingChildrens Board’s procedures and provide them with information as required.
  • Staff, children and families will need support following child protection processes being followed.
  • Children have a right to learn ways to keep themselves safe from harm and exploitation.
  1. Legislation and Guidance:

Schools and colleges must have regard for the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE 2016). This child protection policy should be read alongside this statutory guidance and all staff must read and understand at least part 1 and annexe A of this guidance.

Local authorities have a duty to make enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, to enable them to decide whether they should take any action to safeguard and promote the child's welfare. There may be a need for immediate protection whilst the assessment is carried out.

A ‘child in need’ is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health and development will be significantly impaired, without the provision of services; or a child who is disabled. A social worker will lead and co-ordinate any assessment under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.

Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities (in relation to their education functions, and governing bodies of maintained schools and further education institutions, which include sixth-form colleges) to exercise their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are pupils at a school, or who are students under 18 years of age attending further education institutions. The same duty applies to independent schools (which include Academies and free schools) by virtue of regulations made under section 157 of the same Act.)

Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE 2015) provides additional guidance and clearly states:

‘Protecting children from harm and promoting their welfare depends upon a shared responsibility and effective joint working between different agencies’

In addition, Working Together to Safeguard Children also reinforces the need to take action to provide Early Help before child protection is required:

‘Providing early help is more effective in promoting the welfare of children than reacting later. Early Help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years.’ DFE 2016

The school therefore understands its responsibility to engage with other professionals in Early Help Assessments when a child’s needs according to the Local Safeguarding ChildrensBoard Responding to Need and Level of Needs framework sit below the requirement for a statutory assessment.

The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a duty upon local authorities and educational providers to ‘have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’. The DfE has provided statutory guidance for schools and child care providers: ‘The Prevent Duty’ (June 2015). The guidance summarises the requirements on schools and child care providers in terms of four general themes: risk assessment, working in partnership, staff training and IT policies. Our school will ensure that staff are aware of the indicators of extremism and radicalisation and no how to respond in keeping with local and national guidance. Staff will use their judgement in identifying children who might be at risk of radicalisation and act proportionately which may include making a referral via Children’s Services to the Channel programme. Equally children will be made aware of the risks and support available to them. We will ensure that children are safe from terrorist and extremist material when accessing the internet in schools. The Government has developed an ‘educate against hate’ website providing information and resources for schools and parents to support them to recognise and address extremism and radicalisation in young people.

‘Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (as inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015) places a statutory duty upon teachers along with regulated health and social care professionals in England and Wales, to report to the police where they discover (either through disclosure by the victim or visual evidence) that FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl under 18. Those failing to report such cases will face disciplinary sanctions. It will be rare for teachers to see visual evidence, and they should not be examining pupils, but the same definition of what is meant by “to discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out” is used for all professionals to whom this mandatory reporting duty applies. Information on when and how to make a report can be found at-

‘Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation procedural information’

Teachers must personally report to the police cases where they discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out. Unless the teacher has a good reason not to, they should also still consider and discuss any such case with the school or college’s designated safeguarding lead and involve children’s social care as appropriate. The duty does not apply in relation to at risk or suspected cases (i.e. where the teacher does not discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out, either through disclosure by the victim or visual evidence) or in cases where the woman is 18 or over. In these cases, teachers should follow local safeguarding procedures.’ DFE 2016

The school will also consult the government guidance Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation (revised 2016). In addition, the school recognises the important role schools has in safeguarding children from Forced Marriage. (The Forced Marriage Unit has published Multi-agency guidelines, with pages 32-36 focusing on the role of schools and colleges. School and college staff can contact the Forced Marriage Unit if they need advice or information. Contact: 020 7008 0151 or email: ., DFE 2016)

Early years providers have a duty under section 40 of the Childcare Act 2006 to comply with the welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

The Teaching Standards (DfE 2013) also requires all teachers to ‘uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, including:

  • treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher’s professional position
  • having regard for the need to safeguard pupils’ well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions
  • showing tolerance of and respect for the rights of others’

In addition, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 makes it clear that all members of staff are in a position of trust and would therefore be committing a criminal offence to have a sexual relationship with a young person below the age of 18, even if that pupil is over the age of consent. In addition it would be a breach of trust to have a relationship with any school student over the age of 18.

The school will also take account of additional DFE guidance including:

  • Working Together to Safeguard Children (DFE, 2015)
  • Whattodoifyouareworriedachildis beingabused2015- Advicefor practitioners DFE 2015
  • The Prevent Duty - Departmental advice for schools and childcare providers DFE 2015
  • How social media is used to encourage travel to Syria and Iraq (DFE Briefing note for schools)
  • Disqualificationunder theChildcareAct2006
  • The Ofsted School Inspection Handbook and Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills
  • Other DFE statutory guidance including: attendance and children who go missing from home or care which is found here
  1. Communicating with parents and visitors:

The following statement is provided to parents so they are aware of the school’s responsibilities:

‘The school ensures children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, to develop positive and healthy relationships, how to avoid situations where they might be at risk including by being exploited.

The school also has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular police, health and children’s services. Schools are not able to investigate child protection concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances the school will be able to inform the parents/carer of its need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school is advised by children’s services or police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter or make enquires. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the interests of the child.

The school will always seek to work in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child and family’

The following notice is made available to all visitors in reception. In addition, all visitors are provided with additional safeguarding guidance.

‘Our school is committed to safeguarding children and promoting children’s welfare and expects all staff, governors, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment and maintain a vigilant and safe environment. Everyone has a responsibility to act without delay to protect children by reporting anything that might suggest a child is being abused or neglected. We would expect you to also report to the headteacher or Designated Safeguarding Lead any behaviours of any adults working in the school that may concern you. By signing our visitors book you are agreeing to follow the school’s safeguarding advice to visitors and where appropriate the code of conduct for staff and volunteers.’

The names and photographs of the Designated Safeguarding Lead and those who deputise for them are displayed in reception and the staffroom.

Safeguarding Framework:

In addition, to this child protection policy the school has procedures or policies in relation to other areas for safeguarding children including as examples:

  • attendance
  • administering medicines
  • anti-bulling including cyber bullying
  • alternative and off-site provision
  • behaviour for learning
  • code of conduct for staff, governors and volunteers (guidance on safer working practices)
  • Children in Care (Looked After Children)
  • Clubs, trips, educational visits and extended school activities
  • data protection
  • drug and substance misuse
  • disability objectives and accessibilty plan
  • equal opportunities
  • emergency planning
  • evacuation and lock-down procedures
  • first aid
  • intimate care
  • on-line safety
  • risk assessments
  • safe recruitment practices
  • managing allegations against staff and volunteers
  • school and site security
  • safeguarding advice for visitors
  • special educational needs and disabilities
  • taking and using photographs
  • whistle-blowing
  1. Roles and responsibilities:

The Head Teacher is: Philip Horne

The Chair of Governors is: Norman Christian

The Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection is: Louise Worthington

Those trained to provide cover for the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead are: Philip Horne, Gemma Hathaway and Jan Ireland

The nominated Safeguarding / Child Protection Governor is: Kay Wilkin

The nominated governor for dealing with allegations against the Head Teacher is: Norman Christian

The Governing body should ensure that:

  • The school meets the statutory responsibilities set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education (DFE 2016) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (DFE 2015).
  • The school has a strategy for providing early help together with other agencies and supporting children and families by carrying out early help assessments, drawing upon the LSCB’s ‘Responding to Needs Framework.’
  • The child protection policy is reviewed annually by the full governing body and available to parents, normally via the school’s website.
  • All adults working within the school are aware of the school’s code of conduct and this guidance is in keeping with the Guidance for Safer Working Practices for Adults Working with Children (Safer Recruitment Consortium, 2016)
  • The school’s practice is reviewed in line with Local Authority guidance, Liverpool Children’s Safeguarding Board priorities and any actions identified in the Local Authority 175 Audit are completed.
  • There is a named Designated Safeguarding Lead who is a member of the school leadership team. There are colleagues trained to provide cover for the role.
  • The school has procedures in keeping with the LSCB for dealing with any allegations made against any adult working within the school.
  • There is a nominated governor, usually the chair, who is the case manager for managing any allegations against the Head Teacher.
  • There is an additional nominated governor to liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and champion child protection/safeguarding on behalf of the safeguarding body.
  • The school follows safer recruitment procedures, including the statutory pre-employment checks on all staff working with young people. The Chair of Governors and safeguarding governor together with the headteacher review the school’s single central record.
  • The school itself is a safe environment where the views of children and families are listened to and where children are taught about safeguarding and how to keep themselves safe, including on the internet or when using new technology. Any complaints about services lead to improvements in practice.
  • The school will ensure there are appropriate filters and monitoring systems in place in respect of internet use.
  • It scrutinises the impact of the school’s training strategy so that all staff, including temporary staff and volunteers, are aware of the school’s child protection procedures. All staff must have child protection training which is regularly updated.
  • There is effective analysis of safeguarding data including bullying, attendance, exclusions, behaviour logs, pupils taken off roll, the views and progress and participation of vulnerable students.
  • All safeguarding practices are quality assured by the leadership team, including the auditing of safeguarding records and the supervision of the Designated Safeguarding Lead and other members of the safeguarding team.
  • The governing body will appoint an appropriately trained designated teacher to promote the educational achievement of children who are looked after.

Governing bodies are accountable for ensuring the school has effective policies and procedures in place in line with local and national guidance, and for monitoring the school’s compliance with them. Neither the Governing Body nor individual governors have a role in dealing with individual child protection cases or the right to know the detail of cases (except when exercising their disciplinary functions in respect of allegations against a member of staff or investigating a complaint brought to their attention).